When performing vitreoretinal surgeries, surgeons use surgical microscopes to perceive tissue in the eye. In some cases, the surgical microscopes are aligned with a contact lens placed directly on the eye. Viscoelastic is often used between the cornea and the contact lens to eliminate any air gap between the two that would otherwise be present due to imperfect matching of the lens curvature to the cornea. The viscoelastic may have a similar refractive index as the lens and cornea to prevent reflections from occurring at their surfaces however the viscoelastic also acts as a lubricant and the lens may easily slide from atop the cornea due to gravity.
One conventional approach for reducing movement of the contact lens due to the force of gravity includes suturing a lens holder to the eye and inserting the lens. Another approach includes attaching the lens to an access cannula implanted in the eye during the surgical procedure. While these approaches reduce the chance of the contact lens displacing along the cornea during the surgical procedure, these approaches also eliminate the opportunity to adjust the lens during the surgical procedure.
Another conventional approach for reducing movement of the contact lens includes using an assistant to manually hold the lens in place during the surgery. This type of approach however is cumbersome and the assistant must have very steady hands for good results.
The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods holding a lens to an eye during a vitreoretinal surgical procedure.